Jose Rodriguez Gacha

Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha (14 May 1947-15 December 1989), also known as The Mexican, was a Colombian drug trafficker who dominated the emerald smuggling routes during the late 1980s. He was one of the founders of the Medellin Cartel in 1976, and he was assassinated by the Colombian Army in 1989.

Biography
Jose Rodriguez Gacha, contrary to his nickname, was born in Colombia. He became known as "the Mexican" due to his love of tequila and sombreros, and he was known as a fierce, short man with a Napoleon complex. Rodriguez was one of the key players in the drug trade in Colombia during the 1970s, dominating the emerald smuggling routes. Rodriguez was not afraid to take out his enemies; even his partners were killed. In 1979, he had his partner Guido Escobedo assassinated to take control of the emerald trade. Rodrigo Gacha decided to work with Carlos Lehder, the Ochoa Brothers, and Pablo Escobar in forming the "Medellin Cartel" to ensure profits for all of the partners in the business, and he arranged for Minister of Justice Rodrigo Lara's 1984 assassination. In the late 1980s, US President George H.W. Bush invested millions of dollars in a counteroffensive against the drug lords, and Rodriguez Gacha's son was followed to his father by Colombian Army troops on 15 December 1989. The Mexican, his son, and two bodyguards were killed in the ranch shootout, with Rodriguez Gacha being wounded in the leg and shot in the face by a helicopter's gun.